"Growing Up Is Hard"

If one were a fly on the window (or perhaps a crushed goldfish on the carpet) of my Jeep Liberty, one would be privy to an interesting assortment of conversation topics. On Friday, the pressing issue on Wesley's mind was the small matter of purchasing his own car. He was certain that he would have enough money in his piggy bank to close the deal, but I assured him that was not possible. After a discussion on savings planning and bank loans, Wesley sighed, "Growing up is hard!" Fer real!
Two seconds of silence. Next question: "Mommy, can you marry someone who is your sister?" Um, nope. In answer to the inevitable follow-up question of why, I shared the legal and genetic consequences of such a union. If Catelynn was not an option, Wesley wondered who would be an acceptable choice for a future bride. As an example, I mentioned a few girls from his Sunday school class, but Wesley said, "Nah, I don't want to marry them. Who else?" When I suggested his friend Lainey, he replied, "Yeah, put her on the list." After a few more names, he had complied three lists: yes, no, and maybe. I wonder if I will be telling this story at his wedding in 20 years or so. I just hope that I don't have to explain to my future daughter-in-law why she was initially on the "no" list!

Chalk on Asphalt

Wesley's latest foray into the art world involved every child's favorite medium: sidewalk chalk. Pictured here is his sprawling masterpiece that stretched across the entire road when it was complete. The text reads, "Mario and Luigi and Toad and Princess and Larryboy." (Speed Racer is out! Mario is in, with Larryboy from Veggie Tales nipping at its heels.) To the left is a creatively modified hopscotch, something new introduced to him in Sunday school by his friend Kate.
This piece is a temporary exhibit.

Watch Your Back, Mr. Chapman

Yesterday, Wesley became passionate about his desire to give one of his friends a lollipop. He was highly concerned with seeing them before they left town, so he could hand over the said treat. When I asked him why he wanted to give his friend a lollipop, he said "Because I love him. Giving him a gift is a nice way to show that I love him." Very true. I asked Wesley what some other ways of showing love were. His list included giving hugs, doing the dishes for someone (if you were a grown-up), and telling them with words. Yep. That covers four out of Gary Chapman's five love languages. I would not have been at all surprised if he had busted out "spending quality time" as one of his answers. :) Maybe Wesley has a future in motivational speaking!

Southern Style

I worked as a nurse in Alabama for a year. In all my years of nursing, working with an abundance of doctors who's first language was not English, I had the most difficult time understanding the one's with a thick Southern drawl. Wesley feels my pain. Our neighbor is from Arkansas, and there have been many times when I have needed to "interpret" for him. But my favorite story happened at breakfast the other day. We were dining at IHOP, the premier pancake destination, and the waitress asked Wesley what he wanted to drink. He asked what his options were, and she listed the following: juice--apple juice or orange juice, Sprite, "mealk." Wesley immediately piped up and innocently asked, "What's mealk?" I told him that she was saying milk, and he settled on some OJ. I guess he is still learning to speak Southern.